DeviceGuru

After four years of development, Micromagic Systems has finally completed the Mantis Hexapod Walking Machine, claimed to be the world’s largest all-terrain operational hexapod robot. The device stands nearly three meters tall, weighs just under two tons, and is controlled by a PC/104 module stack running embedded Linux.
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I’ve griped for years about Roku’s retro one-dimensional menu. Finally, in conjunction with the release of the Roku 3 model, the company is giving the Linux-based media streaming player a 2D facelift, making it quicker and easier to access favorite channels and find new ones.
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In 2012, the embedded Linux market lost a valued resource when LinuxDevices.com became a collateral casualty of QuinStreet’s acquisition of a group of websites from Ziff Davis Enterprise. Unfortunately the new owner has no interest in supporting the site, so LinuxDevices has lain dormant for over a year.
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When Boxee announced its new Boxee TV product last October, it also stated that the original Boxee Box, which had already ceased being manufactured, would soon transition into “maintenance mode.” Additionally, the company promised one last firmware update, which would “update the Flash player and fix some key bugs.”
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[Updated Jun 20, 2012] – Sonos, maker of a line of wireless, Internet-streaming music systems, has added a sub-woofer to its offering. The “Sub” adds “soul-shaking, heart-pounding” bass to any of the company’s amplified components, says Sonos.

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I’ve long been a fan of Debian-based Linux OSes in general, and Ubuntu in particular. However, my disaffection with Ubuntu’s new Unity desktop had left me yearning for a suitable alternative. Finally last week, I removed Ubuntu 11.10 from my primary desktop computer and substituted the Linux Mint project’s latest Debian implementation: LMDE 201204. What a breath of fresh air!
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[Update] — Keynote videos from the September 2011 LinuxCon Europe conference are now available for on-demand viewing. Keynote presenters and participants included such Linux luminaries as Linus Torvalds, Alan Cox, Thomas Gleixner, Dirk Hohndel, Nils Brauckman, Tim Burk, Jon Corbet, and more.
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[Updated Jan 27, 2013] — Boxee released version 1.5 of its free multimedia streaming software for Mac, Windows, and Linux desktops today, but simultaneously announced that it will cease offering the Boxee desktop software after January 2012. Thereafter, the company will limit its focus to devices such as the D-Link Boxee Box.
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[Updated Sep 21, 2012] — Although it’s not without passionate supporters, Unity, Ubuntu’s new default user interface has generated considerable controversy and consternation among faithful Ubuntu users since its introduction last year. For those who prefer a traditional GNOME desktop, this post provides a straightforward method of setting up and configuring a current Ubuntu desktop based on GNOME 3′s “Fallback” mode, which works with both Ubuntu 11.10 and 12.04.
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Roku has added a new, entry-level device to its popular line of streaming multimedia players. The $50 “Roku LT” is nearly identical to the recently introduced Roku 2 HD player, except it omits that model’s microSD slot.
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Sonos has added a new member to its wireless music-streaming device family. “Play:3″ lowers the bar on size, power consumption, and cost, and is intended for kitchens, bedrooms, and other small- to mid-sized rooms.
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Cloud Engines is now accepting preorders for a new version of its Pogoplug personal cloud-server gadget, targeting users of Android and iOS mobile devices. Although dubbed “Pogoplug Mobile,” the compact new model remains powered by an AC wall-wart and communicates via wired Ethernet.
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